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North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski: "Historical step"
Photo:
OGNEN TEOFILOVSKI / REUTERS
North Macedonia has cleared another hurdle on its way to EU membership.
The parliament in Skopje approved an agreement with Bulgaria on Saturday.
"Finally, after 17 years, we can start the process of accession negotiations with the European Union," Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said on Saturday.
North Macedonia has had EU candidate status since 2005.
However, the start of official accession negotiations was blocked first by Greece and then by Bulgaria.
Among other things, the government in Sofia demanded that North Macedonia recognize Bulgarian roots in its language, population and history.
In addition, she repeatedly criticized alleged discrimination against the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia.
The compromise now accepted by Skopje provides, among other things, for North Macedonia to change its constitution and recognize the Bulgarians in the country as an ethnic minority.
Furthermore, Bulgaria is not required to recognize the Macedonian language.
However, changing the constitution could be difficult because the government currently does not have the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament.
Despite this, Kovacevski celebrated the compromise decision as a “historic step”.
The parliament in Skopje had previously approved the framework for negotiations with Brussels.
It attaches great importance to protecting one's own language and identity.
The decision was made against resistance from the opposition.
In Skopje, 68 of the 120 MPs voted in favor of the agreement.
Opposition politicians had left the hall before the vote.
After the vote, the MPs waved the flags of North Macedonia and the EU in the parliamentary hall.
North Macedonia has been waiting for accession talks with the EU to begin since 2008.
Most recently, the neighboring country and EU member Bulgaria blocked this.
It wanted to wrest concessions from North Macedonia on minority, historical interpretation and language issues.
The French EU Council Presidency, which was in office until the end of June, drew up a compromise proposal.
The Bulgarian Parliament authorized its government to approve this proposal.
However, following a vote of no confidence in Parliament, Bulgaria currently only has an acting government.
It remains to be seen whether this or a possible successor government will stick to the parliamentary decision.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) congratulated on Twitter: "I welcome the vote of the Macedonian Parliament, which clears the way for the first accession conferences of the European Union with North Macedonia and Albania," he wrote.
»We want you to become members of the European Union and we will accompany you on this path.«
Congratulations also came from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
"This was a historic opportunity," von der Leyen wrote.
"This is a big step on your way to a European future." Michel added: "Our future is together and we welcome you with open arms." The US also welcomed the parliamentary decision: "This is a defining moment for Europe ' Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on Twitter.
Pleased reaction from Albania
The applications from Albania and North Macedonia will be dealt with jointly by the EU Commission.
The prime minister of Albania concerned, Edi Rama, reacted with satisfaction to the decision in Skopje.
"There are no longer any obstacles to negotiations on Albania's membership of the European Union," he wrote on Facebook.
"Albania's absurd hostage situation is over."
Sol/dpa/AFP/Reuters